1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever jig which fits a pair of connectors each other with weak operational force and a connector apparatus using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been proposed various connector apparatuses each of which fits a pair of connectors by operating a lever with weak operational force (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-187863). Among these connector apparatuses, there is proposed one having a lever to be detachably provided on a connector, that is, as a lever jig. With the lever jig, it is possible to perform the fitting operation for a plurality of connector apparatuses, thereby aiming at reduction of the cost of parts, etc. A conventional example of the lever jig and the connector apparatus using the same is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Description will be made below.
A connector apparatus 100 has, as shown in FIG. 1, a lever jig 101, and a female connector 120 and a male connector 130 which are a pair of connectors.
The lever jig 101 has, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, a connector mount portion 102 and a lever body 110 rotatably supported by the connector mount portion 102. The connector mount portion 102 has a pair of side walls 103 and a connecting wall part 104 which connects the pair of side walls 103. On the upper ends of the pair of side walls 103, there are provided upper stopper pieces 103a protruding inside each other.
Inside the pair of side walls 103, the female connector 120 can be inserted from the bottom side. On the pair of side walls 103, there are provided connector engagement tabs 105 protruding inside, at a plurality of places, respectively. On the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 103, there is provided a pair of support pins 106 in a protruding manner. On the pair of side walls 103, there are provided a pair of temporary engagement holes 107 and guide slits 108 communicated with the temporary engagement holes 107. On the pair of side walls 103 and on the lower parts of the temporary engagement holes 107, there are provided lever stopper parts 109 in a protruding manner.
The lever body 110 is provided with a pair of arm parts 111 and an operational part 112 which connects the pair of arm parts 111 at the tips thereof. On the inner surface sides of the pair of arm parts 111, there is provided a pair of pin reception holes 113. To the pair of pin reception holes 113, the support pins 106 of the connector mount portion 102 are inserted, respectively. This enables the lever body 110 to be operated for rotation around the pair of support pins 106 between a fitting-operation start position and a fitting-operation completion position. Inside the pair of arm parts 111, there is provided a pair of boss introduction grooves 114. The pair of arm parts 111 is provided with temporary engagement tabs 115 protruding inside, respectively. The lever body 110 has the temporary engagement tabs 115 engaged to the temporary engagement holes 107 in a position to hit the lever stopper parts 109. The position is the fitting-operation start position for the lever body 110 (see FIG. 1).
As shown in FIG. 1, the female connector 120 and the male connector 130 are provided to be fittable and removable each other. Both of the female connector 120 and the male connector 130 have multiple terminals (not shown) and the mutual multiple terminals (not shown) come in contact in a fitted state. On the upper part of the female connector 120, there are provided flange parts 121 protruding from the both side surfaces thereof. The male connector 130 has a connector fit chamber 131 with its upper part opened. On the both side surfaces of the male connector 130, there are provided a pair of boss parts 132 and a pair of temporary-engagement release guide ribs 133 in a protruding manner.
Next, fitting operation of the female connector 120 and the male connector 130 will be described. The lever body 110 of the lever jig 101 is supposed to be set in the fitting-operation start position. First, from the bottom side of the connector mount portion 102 of the lever jig 101, the female connector 102 is inserted. When inserted in a complete-insertion position, the connector engagement tabs 105 of the connector mount portion 102 are engaged to the flange parts 121 of the female connector 120, thereby connecting the lever jig 101 and the female connector 120.
Next, the female connector 120 is inserted into the connector fit chamber 131 of the male connector 130. Then the temporary-engagement release guide ribs 133 of the male connector 130 move the temporary engagement tabs 115 to a release position, thereby allowing the lever body 110 to be operated for rotation. Also, the pair of boss parts 132 of the male connector 130 is introduced to the pair of boss introduction grooves 114 of the lever body 110, thereby setting the female connector 120 and the male connector 130 in a fitting start position.
Next, the lever body 110 is operated for rotation from the fitting-operation start position to the side of the fitting-operation completion position. Then the pair of boss parts 132 of the male connector 130 moves through the pair of boss introduction grooves 114 of the lever body 110, so that the male connector 130 is drawn toward the female connector 120. That is, the male connector 130 moves to the fitting position side. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lever body 110 has its rotational operation proceeded to come close to the fitting-operation completion position, so that the upper right-and-left ends of the male connector 130 hit the connector engagement tabs 105 of the connector mount portion 102. The lever body 110 is further rotated from this state to the fitting-operation completion position, so that the male connector 130 is drawn to the fitting-operation completion position and each of the connector engagement tabs 105 is moved to the release position. This is the completion of the fitting operation of the female connector 120 and the male connector 130. Since each of the connector engagement tabs 105 is moved to the release position, it is possible to remove the lever jig 101 from the female connector 120.
However, for the above-noted conventional lever jig 101 and the connector apparatus 100 using the same, if the female connector 120 and the male connector 130 incline in a relative position during the fitting operation, a connector engagement tab 105 on a side where deeply drawn is moved to the release position in a position before the fitting-operation completion position. If a part of the connector engagement tabs 105 is moved to the release position, the lever jig 101 becomes detachable from the female connector 120. Accordingly, there is a risk of detaching the lever jig 101 from the female connector 120 in a half-fitted state between the female connector 120 and the male connector 130.